Bi-Partisan COMP Act (HR 7368) Gains Support from Business and Worker Representatives
On Friday, March 15th business and worker representatives joined in support of the Comp Act (HR 7368) introduced by Congressmen Mike Carey (R-OH) and Mike Thompson (D-CA). The letter (attached) notes that HR 7368 would: Create certainty for calculating the amounts to be included in Workers’ Compensation set-asides. Provide appeal rights from reviews by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. [...]
President Biden’s Proposed FY 2025 Budget Would Increase Integrity Funding While Addressing Reemployment and Equity
President Biden has released the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. See Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2025 (whitehouse.gov) The Budget narrative provides for increases in funding for integrity measures, continued focus on reemployment and equity. The budget describes the UI related initiatives in the proposal below. Modernizes, Protects, and Strengthens UI. The UI program provides a critical safety net [...]
CMS Expands Workers’ Compensation Reporting Requirements with No New Statutory or Regulatory Authority
On February 23, 2024 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an alert seeking to expand the Section 111 reporting requirements for Non Group Health Plans (NGHPs) See MMSEA S111 GHP Alert (cms.gov). The expansion goes well beyond the general statutory requirement in 42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(7)&(b)(8), and would impact self-insured employers, workers’ compensation plans, and injured workers with [...]
Coalition Applauds Bi-Partisan Legislation To Improve Administration of Medicare With Workers’ Compensation
Legislation supported by UWC and a coalition of stakeholders in workers’ compensation has been introduced to address the need for clarification when there are workers’ compensation settlements involving employees who are also Medicare eligible. The appropriate determination of amounts to be paid under the applicable workers’ compensation law and Medicare has been an issue for many years without specific legislative [...]
US Senate Finance Committee Releases Joint Outline for Unemployment Insurance Program Improvements
On February 8, 2024, Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-NC) released a framework of Unemployment Insurance Program Improvements. (see below). The framework reflects some of the features of the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act (S 1587) and (HR 1163) that have been supported by UWC. No legislative draft language is available at this [...]
US DOL Details UI Modernization Reporting Check List
On February 2, 2024, USDOL released a check list for UI Modernization Reports to be submitted by states implementing UI Modernization projects. ETA 9177 Report (Pre-Implementation Planning Checklist Report Version 1) through July 31, 2026. See Extension of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) 9177 Report (Pre-Implementation Planning Checklist Report Version 1) for State Unemployment Insurance (UI) Information Technology (IT) Modernization [...]